Amber Flora is a herbal tea blend with some of my favorite floral botanicals. As a hot tea, it really gives you that natural dark honey sweetness. As a cold brew tea, it's a completely floral bomb. Watching the flowers unfurl is a therapeutic experience in and of itself.
I'm taking you for a closer look at what's in this romantic herbal tea blend and how to use it to make an enchantingly elegant and mesmerizing summer lemonade.
Here are the ingredients of this blend and their proposed benefits. Please bear in mind that these benefits are researched under a presumed level of consumption. This tea is not meant as nutrient supplement or to treat illnesses and symptoms.
rose
Naturally antibacterial, Rose contains the phytochemicals; nerol, geraniol and citronellol which are effective against many strains of microbes and bacteria. Roses have been found to contain certain plant flavonoids that are exhibit antidepressant properties. According to the “Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health”, a study in Taiwan was conducted to discover if drinking Rose tea on a regular basis could reduce the occurrence and severity of menstrual cramping. The study, which comprised of 130 women, discovered that consuming Rose tea not only reduced cramping during periods but also noted a significant decrease in distress and anxiety.
Often served in dim sum restaurant with food and a perennial species from Asteraceae family, chrysanthemum is an elegant flower with a sweet honey like scent favored by Chinese poets of yore. Its dignified bloom is a beauty to behold. Naturally sweet, It makes a perfect herbal tea that is said to help reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and is packed with antioxidants.
jasmine
Jasmine has been used for liver disease (hepatitis), pain due to liver scarring (cirrhosis), and abdominal pain due to severe diarrhea (dysentery). It is also used to prevent stroke, to cause relaxation (as a sedative), to heighten sexual desire (as an aphrodisiac), and in cancer treatment. Women take it for menstrual disorders and vaginal yeast infections.
lavender
One of the most popular floral botanical, lavender known for its lovely scent and its ability to improve mood and sleep quality. It is often noted that lavender also reduces inflammation, calms the body, and minimizes muscle spasms.
marigold/calendula
Fresh edible marigold can be the perfect accent in a cocktail or dish. The less enchanting dried flowers are often used in tea and skincare products. Despite its slightly bitter taste, calendula tea is a traditional remedy used in folk medicine because of its ascribed therapeutic properties. It's packed with antioxidants. It may promote wound and skin ulcer healing. It has antifungal and antimicrobial properties and supports oral health.
safflowers
With a saturating red color, safflower tea is perhaps most famous for its ability to help lower cholesterol and improve the overall health of the heart. The herb is full of linoleic acid, and it’s this fatty acid that contributes to reducing cholesterol in the body, which in turn, prevents heart disease. It is anti-inflammatory and eases muscle pains as it reduces lactic acid build-up in the muscles, which produces painful cramping.
heather/erica
People take heather as a tea for kidney and lower urinary tract conditions, prostate enlargement, fluid retention, gout, arthritis, sleep disorders, breathing problems, cough, and colds. They also take it for digestive disorders such as diarrhea, spasms, and stomach pain (colic), and for diseases of the liver and gallbladder. It is sometimes used to cause sweating. In combination with other herbs, heather is used for treating diabetes, menstrual discomfort, menopause, and nervous exhaustion. Other uses include stimulation of digestion and regulation of the circulatory system.
As I mentioned in Best Lavender Syrup and Iced Lavender Cappuccino, coldbrew is a great method for brewing flowers. Cold brew tea tends to preserve a lot of the magical aroma from flowers. The process alrhough slightly more time consuming, is fairly easy. Tea/syrup keeps for about 2 weeks in a refrigerator.
To turn a simple lemonade into a summer backyard spectacle, I'm using Amber Flora to make a beautiful floral syrup. I add butterfly pea flower to add some amazing color and additional health benefits. Enjoy!
Steps for amber flora syrup
1 Amber Flora tea bag
120g cold filtered water
200g white/cane sugar
100g hot water
1. Steep tea bag in the cold water at room temperature for up to 2 hours before moving it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Dissolve sugar with hot water. Stir thoroughly to incorporate syrup as best as you can.
3. Take out the tea bag from coldbrew concentrate. Add concentrate to suryp and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Steps for butterfly pea flower concentrate
2g butterfly pea flowers
200g cold filtered water
1. Steep butterfly pra flowers in the cold water at room temperature for up to 2 hours before moving it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Strain tea and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Steps for butterfly lemonade
60g frshly squeezed lemon juice
60g Amber Flora syrup
Ice
200g cold filtered water
15g butterfly pea flower concentrate
1. In a tall ball glass, mix lemon juice with syrup.
2. Add ice to the glass and add filtered water. Don't mix at this stage to create a better color gradient before serving.
3. Carefully pour butterfly pea flower concentrate over lemonade and serve. You can try pouring concentrate on the floating ice cube. This technic helps to separate the butterfly pea flower concentrate so you have a more dramatic color presentation.